Table supporting structure



g- 1966 E. c. PETERSON TABLE SUPPORTI N6 S TRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 16,. 1965 INVENTOR. Edward 6 pferso/v Aug. 39, 1966 E; c. PETERSON 3,269,337

TABLE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Filed April 16, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -l lllunm. n. TKIIIILIIIHHIHMWIHHIII'HIIIHHHUTV w 60 I, I I

n a 22 w 52 "20 IN VEN TOR. Edward 6. Rafe/2500 United States Patent 3,269,337 TABLE SUPPQRTHNG STRUCTURE Edward (3. Peterson, 5111 Reeds Road, Mission, Kans. Filed Apr. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 448,627 8 Claims. (Cl. 108-130) This invention relates to supporting structure for a table and, more particularly, such structure wherein there is provided a pair of leg units swingably secured to the table to be supported, said leg units being moved on the table in such a manner that they are automatically swung to extended positions when initially released,there being structure for locking said leg units in their extended positions.

It is the most important object of this invention to provide table-supporting structure which may be utilized in connection with a card table or other similar table to be supported, which table-supporting structure includes a pair of leg units swingably secured to the table, whereby said units may be swung from a collapsed position where the legs of said units are closed against the bottom of the table to an extended position where the legs are in substantially perpendicular relationship to the table whereby to support the same.

It is a yet further important aim of this invention to provide, in table-supporting structure, a pair of U-shaped leg units, said units each having a bight portion and a pair of legs, the bight portion of each unit being swingably secured to the table to be supported as by hearing clamps or the like, there being resilient means for urging said legs from a collapsed position to an extended position upon release of a latch which normally serves to retain the legs in their collapsed positions.

A yet further aim of the invention is to provide looking structure for retaining the legs in their extended positions, said locking structure including a locking bar corresponding to each of the legs, said locking bars each engaging an end of a brace for the corresponding leg, said locking bars maintaining the legs in their extended position until a release mechanism is actuated whereby to permit the leg units to be swung to their collapsed positions.

Yet another aim of this invention is to provide a release mechanism whereby the locking bars for each of the legs may be simultaneously disengaged from their corresponding braces to permit swinging of the leg units to their collapsed positions, said release mechanism ineluding a hub having spokes extending therefrom to each of said locking bars, whereby, when said release mechanism is actuated, as by pressing on the hub, the locking bars are each concurrently shifted to permit the leg units to be swung to the collapsed position.

Other important objects of this invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a bottom plan view of the table-supporting structure showing one leg unit in a collapsed position and the other leg unit in an extended position;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the leg unit in a collapsed position;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary view showing the manner in which the leg units are secured to the table;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 88 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 99 of FIG. 8.

The supporting structure hereinafter described is in- Patented August 30, 1965 tended to be used to support a table, such as a card table, designated 10 in the drawings, the card table conventionally including a top 12, said top having a normally upper surface 14 and a normally lower surface 16, there being a depending skirt 18 circumscribing the top 12, skirt 18 having a normally outer surface 20 and a normally inner surface 22, said surfaces 20 and 22 being continuous and extending around the periphery of the top 12 of table 10.

A supporting structure 24 includes a pair of U-shaped leg units 26 and 28, each of said leg units being identical in construction and each leg unit presenting a bight portion 30 and a pair of legs, the legs of unit 26 being identified as 32, the legs of unit 28 being identified as 34. Sail leg units are preferably formed from lengths of aluminum tubing suitably bent at .right angles at two points whereby to define the U-shaped leg units 26 and 28, including the bight portions 30 thereof and their corresponding legs 32 and 34 respectively.

Said units 26 and 28 are swingably secured to skirt 18 of table 10 by means of bearing clamps 36, which bearing clamps embrace the bight portions 30 of each of said units 26 and 28 at spaced-apart positions thereupon, whereby said bight portions are maintained in parallel relationship with the portion of the skirt to which they are swingably secured, the bight portions 30 being secured to opposed portions of said skirt, all as is clear from viewing FIG. 1 of the drawings.

It will be noted that leg units 26 and 28 are identical in configuration and size, said leg units being offset with respect to one another, whereby the same may be moved to a collapsed position and permit the legs thereof at each side of the table to lie in side-by-side relationship. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, when leg unit 28 is moved to its collapsed position, one leg 34 thereof is immediately adjacent the skirt 18, this being leg 34 in the upper portion of FIG. 1, and the other leg 34 of unit 28 is spaced inwardly from skirt 18, as shown in the lower portion of FIG. 1. Likewise, when leg unit 26 is swung to its closed, collapsed position, from the extended position shown in FIG. 1, the uppermost leg 32 thereof, viewing FIG. 1, will lie inwardly with respect to leg 34 and in substantially parallel relationship to leg 34 of unit 28 which is adjacent the skirt 18, the other leg '32 of unit 26 lying between the other leg 34 of unit 28 and the skirt 18. Thus, as is evident, the leg units 26 and 28 are secured to the table in such a position that the opposite legs of the respective units lie in side-by-side relationship when the leg units are swung to their collapsed positions, thereby allowing all of said legs to be within the confines of the circumscribing skirt 18.

Each of the legs of each leg unit has resilient means coupled therewith for urging the corresponding leg and, therefore, the respective unit from a collapsed position to an extended position. Inasmuch as said resilient means and its associated structure is identical in construction and operation for each of the four legs of the supporting structure, only one of the same will be described.

The resilient biasing assembly for each leg includes a connecting bracket 38 which has one end thereof secured to the bight of the leg unit and the other end thereof secured to the leg, whereby the connecting bracket 38 spans the corner defined by the leg and the bight at their points of juncture. A resilient member 40, such as a coil spring, has one end thereof secured to the connecting bracket 38 and the other end thereof secured to a brace 42 whereby to resiliently interconnect the bracket 38 and the brace 42. Brace 42 has one end 44 thereof swingably attached to the leg, said one end 44 taking the form of an outturned portion of brace 42. The other end 46 of brace 42 is inturned and is retained adjacent the lower surface 3 16 of table by a locking bar 48 in a manner hereinafter described.

When the leg units are in their collapsed. positions, each of the springs is extended between bracket 38 and brace 42 as shown in the drawings, the springs thereby exerting a force against their corresponding braces 42 tending to urge the same toward the bight portion of the corresponding leg unit. However, when the leg units are in their collapsed positions the four legs are retained in such position by a latch which overlies one leg of each unit, thereby holding all of the legs in the collapsed position. However, when the latch 50 is swung from the position shown in FIG. 1 to an open position, as by shifting the same about a pivot point 52, the legs previously underlying the latch 50 are released, thereby allowing springs 40 to act upon braces 42 and thereby swinging each of the leg units to their extended. positions. It will, therefore, be appreciated that when latch 50 is released, the action of the springs 40, there being one spring for each leg of each leg unit, will cause the leg units to swing to the extended position in an automatic fashion and without manual swinging thereof.

As said leg units swing to their extended positions, the inner ends 46 of each of the braces 42 ride along a trackway 54 defined between locking bar 48 and the normally lowermost surface 16 of table 10. Locking bars 48 are each identical in construction and thus only one of the same will be described. Said bars 48 are secured to the lower face 16 of table 10 by a flexible member 56 which interconnects one end of the locking bar 48 to a spacer block 58 which, in turn, is secured to the lower face 16 of table 10. The flexible member 56 attached to locking bar 48 at one end thereof allows the other end 60 of locking bar 48 to shift within a limited area, the shifting movement of said other end 60 being restrained by a stop 62 which has a portion overlying said other end 60 and thereby limiting the shifting movement thereof, all as is apparent from the drawings.

The upper surface of locking bar 48 is flat, while the lower surface thereof, that is the surface proximal to the normally lowermost surface 16 of table 10, is flat throughout a length thereof but has, adjacent said other end 60 of the locking bar 48, a camming portion 64 whereby to cause the inner end 46 of brace 42 to pass beyond the other end of the locking bar 48 under the urging of its spring 40 and to a position in abutting relationship to the stop 62 whereby said inner end 46 of brace 42 is retained in a locked position between the other end 60 of locking bar 48 and its corresponding stop 62.

Thus, as will be apparent from the foregoing, when the latch 50 is released and the springs 40 allowed to urge their corresponding legs from a collapsed position to an extended position, the other inturned end 46 of brace 42 will ride along the trackway 54 until such time as it strikes camming surface 64, whereupon it will be caused to move beyond the end of locking bar 48 and into engagement with stop 62, said passage being allowed by the shiftability of said other end 60 of locking bar 48 which results from its flexible mounting as by member 56. Once end 46 has moved against stop 62, locking bar 48 is again urged against the lower surface 16 of table 10 by the flexible member 56, whereby the inner face of the other end 60 of the locking bar 48 engages the lower surface 16 of the table, thereby restraining said inturned end and locking the same between the outer free end of the bar 48 and the stop 62. The foregoing is quickly and auto matically accomplished by the legs as they move from their collapsed positions to an extended position. Thus, the legs are locked in their extended positions and the table may be supported thereby in a firm manner without fear of the legs buckling, collapsing, or the braces supporting the same being inadvertently collapsed.

When it is desired to return the leg units 26 and 28 to their collapsed positions, releasing mechanism 66 is utilized, said releasing mechanism consisting of a centrally disposed hub 68, said hub having a plurality of spokes 70 extending therefrom, there being a spoke 70 corresponding to each locking bar 48, one end of each spoke 70 being secured to the hub 68, the other end of each spoke 70 being secured to the other end 60 of its corresponding locking bar 48.

Spokes 70 are made of a rod-like material which is preferably somewhat flexible in nature, each of the spokes 70 being bent intermediate the ends thereof in the manner best illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 of the drawings, whereby each spoke is in engagement with the undersurface 16 of table 10 at a point intermediate hub 68 and its corresponding locking bar 48. This is accomplished by imparting to each spoke a substantially V- shaped bend 72 whereby to present an apex portion 74 which is in engagement with a bearing plate 76 secured to the lower surface 16 of table 10. The end of each spoke 70, which is secured to end 60 of the locking block, is coupled therewith in such a manner that there is a limited movement of the end of the spoke, this being accomplished through the provision of a pin 78 which is secured to the end 60 of the locking block and which has a stop nut 80 adjustably carried thereby, whereby the end of the spoke 70 may ride along pin 78 which extends through said end of the spoke, until such time as the end of the spoke engages stop nut 80.

Thus, in use, the release mechanism 66 is actuated by depressing hub 68, that is pushing it toward the lower surface 16 of the table whereby to bring apex portions 74 into engagement with their correspond bearing plates 76, thereby causing the outer end of each of the spokes 70 to move upwardly along their corresponding pins 78 until such time as stop nuts 80 are engaged. Once this engagement is accomplished, which is simultaneous with respect to each of the stop nuts 80 due to previous adjustment, the other ends 60 of locking bars 48 are caused to shift upwardly a sufficient distance to allow the inturned end 46 of each brace 42 to pass therebeneath, thereby positioning said inturned ends 46 of the braces 42 beneath the other end 60 of the locking bars 48 and disengaging the same from their previously locked positions between the outer free end of the locking bar 48 and the stop 62. Once the braces have been released in the manner above described, the legs may be freely swung to their collapsed positions merely by pushing the same inwardly toward the lower surface 16 of table 10. Once moved to this collapsed position they are retained therein by latch 50 being swung into overlying engagement with a leg of each unit.

To assist in releasing the legs in the manner above described, there is provided, adjacent each leg, a leaf spring 82 which acts against its corresponding leg, thereby assisting in moving the end 46 of brace 42 out of its locked position once the release mechanism 66 is actuated. Said leaf springs 82 are secured to the inner surface 22 of skirt 18 in such a position that they bring optimum pressure to bear against their corresponding legs to thereby assist in the initial release of the braces from their locked position.

Thus, there is presented supporting structure for a card table or the like wherein the leg units thereof are mounted in such a manner that, upon release of latch 50, the leg units are each swung automatically from a collapsed position to an extended position under the urging of the springs 40. Once the extended position has been reached, each of the legs is locked in its said extend-ed position by virtue of its corresponding brace 42 being in engagement with a corresponding locking bar 48. When it is desired to collapse the supporting structure whereby the table may be stored, transported, or the like, it is merely necessary to depress hub 68 toward the lower surface 16 of the table, thereby automatically and simultaneously releasing all of the braces whereby the legs may all be swung to a collapsed position. v

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Table supporting structure comprising:

a pair of leg units swingably secured to said table whereby said units may be swung from a collapsed position to an extended, table-supporting position, each of said leg units being U-shaped whereby to present a bight portion and a pair of legs, there being bearing clamps swingably securing the bight portion of each unit to said table;

means for urging said leg units from said collapsed position to said extended position, said means including resilient means coupled with each leg of each unit;

means for locking said leg units in said extended position, said means including a locking bar corresponding to each leg and operable to maintain said leg units in an extended position; and

release mechanism coupled with each of said locking bars for releasing the same to allow said leg units to be swung to a collapsed position, said release mechanism including a hub and spokes extending therefrom to each of said locking bars, each of said spokes being in engagement with said table at a point intermediate the hub and its corresponding locking bar.

2. Supporting structure for a table having a top and a depending skirt circumscribing the top, said structure comprising:

a pair of U-shaped leg units, each presenting a bight portion and a pair of legs;

bearing clamps swingably securing each of said bight portions to said skirt, said portions being in opposed relationship;

a brace for each of said legs, one end of each brace being swingably attached to its corresponding leg;

resilient means coupled with each of said braces for using the latter and its corresponding leg from a collapsed position to an extended position;

a locking bar for each of said legs, said bars each engaging the other end of their corresponding brace when the leg units are swung to an extended position whereby to retain said leg units in said extended position; and

a release mechanism for disengaging said locking bars and said braces to allow the leg units to be swung to a collapsed condition, said release mechanism including a hub and spokes extending therefrom ,to each of said locking bars.

3. Supporting structure for a table as set forth in claim 2, each of said locking bars being flexibly attached to said table whereby to present a shiftable free end, said spokes being connected to said locking bars adjacent said free end.

4. Supporting structure for a table as set forth in claim 3, the other end of each of said braces having an inturned portion, said inturned portion being engaged by the free end of its corresponding locking bar when the leg units are in an extended position,

5. Supporting structure for a table as set forth in claim 4, each of said locking bars cooperating with a proximal portion of said table to define a trackway for said inturned end, said ends each moving along their corresponding trackway when their respective leg units are swung.

6. Supporting structure for a table as set forth in claim 5, the legs being in side-by-side relationship when said leg units are swung to a collapsed position.

7. Supporting structure for a table as set forth in claim 6, there being a latch engageable with one pair of legs when the leg units are in a collapsed position whereby to retain said leg units in said position.

8. Supporting structure for a table having a top and a depending skirt circumscribing the top, said structure comprising:

a pair of U-shaped leg units, each presenting a bight portion and a pair of legs;

bearing clamps swingably securing each of said bight portions to said skirt, said portions being in opposed relationship;

a brace for each of said legs, one end of each brace being swingably attached to its corresponding leg;

a bracket connecting each leg with its corresponding bight portion;

resilient means coupling each brace with its corresponding bracket for urging the respective leg units from a collapsed position to an extended position;

a locking bar for each of said legs;

a flexible member connecting one end of each of said locking bars to said table, the other end being shiftable;

at stop adjacent the other end of each of said locking bars, said bar and said stop retaining the other end of their corresponding brace when the leg units are swung to an extended position; and

a release mechanism for shifting said other end of each of said locking bars whereby to allow said leg units to be swung to a collapsed position, said mechanism including a hub and spokes interconnecting said hub with said other end of each of said locking bars, said spokes each being engageable with said table at a point between the hub and their corresponding locking bars.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,679,426 8/1928 Howe 108130 1,943,563 1/1934 Stoner et al. 108-130 2,213,681 9/1940 Symmounds 108-130 2,723,173 11/1955 McBride 108130 X 2,785,032 3/1957 Bryant 108-130 2,817,567 12/1957 Shepherdon 108-132 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TABLE SUPPORTING STRCTURE COMPRISING: A PAIR OF LEG UNITS SWINGABLY SECURED TO SAID TABLE WHEREBY SAID UNITS MAY BE SWUNG FROM A COLLAPSED POSITION OF AN EXTENDED, TABLE-SUPPORTED POSITION, EACH OF SAID LEG UNITS BEING U-SHAPED WHEREBY TO PRESENT A BIGHT PORTION AND A PAIR OF LEGS, THERE BEING BEARING CLAMPS SWINGABLY SECURING THE BIGHT PORTION OF EACH UNIT TO SAID TABLE; MEANS FOR URGING SAID LEG UNITS FROM SAID COLLAPSED POSITION TO SAID EXTENDED POSITION, SAID MEANS INCLUDING RESILIENT MEANS COUPLED WITH EACH LEG OF EACH UNIT; MEANS FOR LOCKING SAID LEG UNITS IN SAID EXTENDED POSITION, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A LOCKING BAR CORRESPONDING TO EACH LEG AND OPERABLE TO MAINTAIN SAID LEG UNIT IN AN EXTENDED POSITION; AND RELEASE MECHANISM COUPLED WITH EACH OF SAID LOCKING BARS FOR RELEASING THE SAME TO ALLOW SAID LEG UNITS TO BE SWUNG TO A COLLAPSED POSITION, SAID RELEASE MECHANISM INCLUDING A HUB AND SPOKES EXTENDING THEREFROM TO EACH OF SAID LOCKING BARS, EACH OF SAID SPOKES BEING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TABLE AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE THE HUB AND ITS CORRESPONDING LOCKING BAR. 